Being bold boldly!

What does that even mean?

There are ten people in a room and you ask them to define the word ‘Bold’. What do you think their answers would be? Who knows? The dictionary definitions of words vary from one ‘provider’ to another. Therefore, we can feel comfortable with the idea of creating our own definitions if they are in the ‘ballpark’, an approximation if you like.

A few examples of dictionary definitions of Bold:   

….not frightened of danger….

….courageous and daring….

….brave and confident….

….not afraid to do things which involve risk ….

Being Bold can be off-putting for some and even more so when the above definitions are introduced. The thought of stepping out there to be Bold is not an appealing one for many who typically tend to prefer to go ‘under the radar' when faced with perceived difficulties. The mystery of what being Bold means and its relationship with ‘daring’ ensures that its intrigue lives on.

The good news is that words are just that; action is what matters in this instance. Deciding to take ownership of your 'agency', opens up a new level of personal control that may have been overlooked in the past.

Recognising that we have more scope and opportunity than we thought can be liberating and beneficial. Imagine being the chief executive of a company - You Limited!

Once we embrace the view that we have the personal authority to expand our boundaries, new avenues and opportunities often show up. We decide the limits we apply, which can be nebulous, to our endeavours. The point is, how can we make the most out of ambiguous concepts?

The opportunity lies in the benefits and consequences of situations and the level of desire we have for a goal. How much 'something' matters to us typically shapes the outcome.

Our willingness to get stuck in and take a few knocks is an important part of the learning curve and whilst at times it may seem a step too far it is the gateway to personal growth. Commitment, desire and action are the ingredients that are often necessary to drive progress. This allows us to gradually step up and stretch our outreach to encompass situations that we may have avoided previously.

It is our choice how we interpret subjective matters and deciding to be Bold is likely to serve people well. Indeed, it could be transformational, depending on the nature and scale of change being considered. This isn’t about unfettered risk-taking, rather it’s about personal choice to test limits and possibilities with the intention of creating a wider scope of opportunities, leading to a more fulfilling future.

In the end, it is down to each of us to decide our limits.

If there was a special measurement for Boldness and the line looked like the following, we could see our progress of being ‘more’ Bold; recognising that simple steps can be the beginning of a journey that takes us to the upper range of the Boldometer!

1 -----------------------25------------------------50------------------------75------------------------ 100

Imagine being able to take more control over difficult challenges, opportunities and new possibilities; the rewards that would likely be derived from being more Bold open up significant positive changes in one’s life.

There is a potential plethora of gains to be had, by thinking about scenarios whereby being Bold

could lead to future advantages. Additionally, by reframing certain situations we could dilute any perceived challenges. The implication of this is that we can test boundaries and push limits further in the direction we would like.

When we take more control of our situations we start to see things differently. For example, when we talk about the danger of something it's worth unpicking what that means and looks like. Often the situation may not be dangerous at all, rather, it is something of much less significance and the heightened view can be dissipated through dialogue.

Being Bold can be a vehicle aiding us to put ourselves out there more often and step up to greater opportunities and challenges. Boosting our self-esteem can enable us to widen our boundaries for opportunities while progressing along the Boldometer!

Pushing ourselves can generate some cracking returns.

-      How would you score yourself on a 1 to 100 measurement now?

-      Where would you like to be in one month?

-      What will it take to get to your ideal position?

-      What will be your first steps?

-      Take control and decide to push forward?

Perception | Potential | Performance